Quaking Grounds
by aru
Summary: As May struggles to get by after resigning as champion, she runs into an old nemesis.
1. Rock Bottom

**Hello everyone! While I may not be much of a writer, I felt compelled to write this story that has been floating around in my head while I sleep. We'll have to see how far I go with this, though I do have a plan. I love this pairing, when of course, May is appropriately aged. Bare with my poor grammar, I'll hopefully get into the swing of things eventually! Also, there is a bit of a flashback/retelling of events in the middle.**

* * *

She had woken up to the noise of tree branches rattling and the leaves crinkling. Spots of sunlight peeked through the canopy of the trees and the boards of the ceiling. Her eyes slowly creaked open, breaking the crystalized seal of previous tears. A fuzzy nose nudged against her cheek. May rolled over, scooping up her affectionate Skitty, Ivy, cuddling and purring into her chest.

"Thank you so much for the peaceful wakeup-call," she croaked sarcastically to the feline. May threw her legs over the edge of the bed and sluggishly drug herself from under the covers. Sitting up she glanced over to her PokéNav**,** which lie on a small table near her bed. To no surprise it was free from any messages. Though she would occasionally receive some from her parents to check in on her. The clock read it was 11:30 AM November 11. Suddenly her brain awakened realizing she had drastically overslept.

"Shit! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm up now!"

May quickly slid over to her small refrigerator tucked away in the corner of the room, peering inside woefully. It was almost barren, only containing a glass pint of milk and a couple Pecha berries tucked away. She snagged the milk, popping off the metal lid and took a large swig. Turning back she saw Ivy meowing on her bed with sad eyes. May smiled, grabbed a small dish from atop of the fridge and set it down near her feet, pouring half of the milk for her feline friend.

"I know it's not your favorite but I forgot to pick up anything for us to really eat. I'll be back after today's run with something special, okay?"

Ivy brushed against her legs lapping up her breakfast. May downed the remains of the bottle and raced toward her dresser. She pulls out a loose tank top and a pair of gym shorts and quickly tugs them on. She'd normally adjust her hair into a styled ponytail however she was rushing for time. Bouncing towards the door pulling on her sneakers she snagged the Pecha Berry and her hair scarf stuffing them into her pouch she slung across her body.

May grabbed the edges of the ladder secured to the balcony of her tree and slid down with a loud thud hitting the ground. A head perked up around the base of with a surprised call.

"Heh heh, it's alright" she replied softly, petting the disgruntled feathers of the magnificent Altaria perched atop the branches of the great tree. May slid the berry from her pocket, offering it to her beloved pokémon. "I know I'm late so we have to hustle a little bit". The Altaria drifted down to the ground as nimble as feather in the air. She stroked the back of it's neck, lifting her leg across and settling herself in the saddle of feathers.

"Okay Sora, we're ready"

The elegant dragon swept up and out of the cover of the trees, speeding through the air across the mainland towards the small island resort.

* * *

"Congratulations, you and your pokémon are truly a powerful force".

These were the words that Steven Stone, former champion, had spoken to May immediately after his defeat. He was what May envisioned as the perfect Champion of Hoenn; elegant, compelling, and passionate.

May had longed dreamed of becoming champion, always knowing some day she could triumph over the elite four. She was confident in herself, pushing herself further, challenging herself to test her strength as a trainer. Her father, Norman, had always supported her and encouraged her to become the magnificent trainer he knew she could be. She had proved herself as an exceedingly strong trainer sweeping through the gyms, facing off against a villainous organization, and making contact with great legendary pokémon. Now she finally had reached her calling.

Shortly after the news spread of the newly inducted champion, the media and admiring trainers bombarded May. She was flattered at first, however it slowly made her uncomfortable. Steven loved the attention, whenever he an May were out in public he would always put on a show for the press. She remembered watching all the interviews and stories covering the champions when she herself was a young trainer, but never realized how much pressure it put on the people they harassed. Thankfully, Steven was alongside May and took most of the spotlight.

She was ready to face off against Hoenn's best trainers in fierce battle's to protect her title, however, there were little to approach her. The few that managed to get past the challenge of the elite four were severely underwhelming. She began to realize that the position that she admired so much was not as glorious as it seemed. To May it was all part of an act, just putting on a good show for the public. She missed her younger years, faces great challenges and competing against those who gave her a good fight.

May began to forgo her duties as champion, dodging the crowds and avoiding confrontation with Steven. She would try to arrange meeting with friends like Brendan, Wally; _hell_ even Archie would be a treat to hang around with. But they would remind her that she should be focusing on being champion and she was needed elsewhere.

"May! I'm delighted to see you! I see to it you have been successful in your battles against these fine young trainer, would you perhaps have some spare time?"

Steven cordially invited May. She begrudgingly accepted, just to get time spent with him out of the way. She had once loved his overflowing personality, however lately it just seemed to annoy her.

Together they left from the Pokémon League, heading out towards EverGrande city. She was lagging behind until Steven stopped to wait and look to her.

"May, darling, I see you aren't exactly talkative. I'm truly sorry if you had an unsatisfactory day. However, I noticed you haven't exactly been in touch with the people and I would think it's in your best interest if you gave them some of your time. Thus, I have arranged for us to meet with a —"

"Steven, I'm just going to go home, I'm not in the mood to put on any sort of show. I'm sorry." May replied frankly.

"Wha—What do you mean? I don't think you realize what it really entails to be the champion of the Pokémon League; you have to act as one! The champion must take their job seriously or else…. You really must start to act a little more mature about your situation."

May gritted her teeth, trying to hold back her anger form that last comment.

"Steven, honestly, I've been thinking about it and I'm no longer—"

At that moment a loud buzzing sound came from inside Steven's coat. He paused to look at like he was hoping she'd finish, however she decided she best deliver the news in a better manner. He retrieved his PokéNav from his coat to answer a call. He stepped aside form May, allowing himself some privacy.

"Ah, well thank you for calling. Bye."

He turned back walking towards May, "Well I'm terribly sorry our plans have been cancelled. Perhaps we may reschedule it very soon."

She was relieved; she did not want to be the one to ruin the plans. Instead, he escorted her back to her home. It was a grand house in Sootopolis overlooking the lake. Steven and Wallace had given it as a gift to her as the new champion.

"I really do need to speak to you Steven, would you mind coming in?"

"Certainly! How could I say no to the beautiful champion?" He replied with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes. _It won't be much longer for that_. He sat down in her living area and patted the seat next to him to signal her to sit. She was a bit confused, _whose house was this? _She sat beside him and turned to face his steely eyes.

"You may have noticed I haven't been acting myself lately. I've been quite troubling thinking this over."

"I have noticed, please do share", he looked up at her with a concerned face.

"I honestly feel as though I am not suited to be champion. While I love the title and the challenge…" /_Yeah right_/"I find it not quite the thrill I'd hoped it would be."

"May if this is because of my comment earlier please forgive me, I was just a bit frustrated. You truly are a marvelous champion and I was only trying to nudge you in the direction that would inspire young trainers. I know, I'll call back the—"

She stood up looking away at the door with an angered face.

"No. I'm sorry, but…. I resign as Champion."

"Are you mad? Do you know what this'll do you your fans?! The reputation of the league will be tarnished! May I don't think you are clearly thinking this out!"

She motioned towards the door for him to leave. As he silently marched through the door he gave her a glance as his last chance of trying to break her; to see what really was wrong. As she heard him shut the door she bust into tears dashing towards her bedroom. She gathered her clothes and personal possessions stuffing them in a rucksack. She held back her sobs gripping her PokéNav on the way out, leaving the keys behind on the front table.

May decided to head towards her parent's home, knowing they'll be understandable. As she glided in the air she tried not to look at her pokémon to avoid breaking into tears again. May took her PokéNav from her pocket; she needed someone to talk to.

"Hello? May is that you?" Brendan answered.

"Hey Brendan! How are you? Would you mind meeting me at my parents house real soon?"

"May don't you have things you should be focusing on? Champion's don't have time to waste!"

She bit her lip. "That's why I quit… I really need to talk to you."

"YOU WHAT? MAY WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! It was your dream; it was my dream! How could you let an opportunity like that go!... I really need to go, you should rethink your choices…"

She threw the door open to her old home, gasping for breathe behind her tears. Her mother and father were sitting at the dining table turned towards her as if they were expecting she'd walk in just then.

"We need to talk. Brendan just called us. You need to call Steven", her father replied harshly.

Before thinking she spun her heels around, slamming the door behind her. She was trapped. She released her Altaria once more and shot off into the night sky. She could only think of one place she could stay for the mean time.

She soared just past Fortree city into the small forest covering. She landed quietly in a small patch where the trees divided. Looking around she found her childhood sanctuary. May climbed up into her old secret base, reliving the good memories. She tossed her bag and recalled her pokémon before she passed out on the bed. _She could make this work._

* * *

Whenever may flies across Hoenn she recalls that painful night from two years ago. She thinks to herself, _I may not be living as a once champion normally would, but I'm living as I wish to be_. _I'm perfectly content if I'm able to get by battling against those at the Maison._

As May landed at the battle resort she was surprised at the absence of tourists running around aimlessly. She turned towards a gentlemen passing by to ask him if there was an event of some sort to explain.

"It's couple's day, most people are out spending their time together… Speaking of which, babe, why don't we—"

She turned away abruptly and started walking towards the battle arena, ignoring the poor attempt to pick her up. She was still a bit surprised an adult would make a remark at a twenty year old. She knew she was a fair sight to see, but it was no excuse to be harassed.

As she entered the main building she was surprised to hear a vast number of hushed conversations, as if they were trying to hide what they were saying. She could hear most of the conversations regarding a certain someone who they'd seen on TV or heard of him from others. Perhaps Steven she thought? She stopped, suddenly thinking if he found out about her whereabouts. She was about to turn around and return home when she remembered she desperately needed the prize money for her pokémon and herself. She sighed and took one long deep breath. _If it is him, I'll avoid confrontation at all costs._

Then she saw the figure upon the small stage and froze. A pit in her stomach began to form. A slender man, wearing black slacks, a deep maroon suit jacket, with neatly slicked back red haired pointed outwards stood before her. He had his arms crossed behind his back and was looking off like he was searching for something. As if he sensed her presence he made a quick turn towards her, facing her with a grin stretched ear to ear that sent shivers down her spine.

"Well, if it isn't my young hero," he hissed.


	2. A Surprise?

"Well, if it isn't my young hero."

The words caused a sharp chill to shoot down her back, freezing her in place.

Maxie stiffly walked over and stopped directly in front of May. He looked just the same as when she had last seen him after the episode with Groudon. Though he appeared less fatigued than he had previously. His eyes like two obsidian daggers piercing through her. They stood, now almost eye-to-eye, leering at one another.

It took her a moment to overcome her feelings of disgust before she could respond.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

His grimace disappeared and turned to his usual stone cold expression. Maxie adjusted his maroon jacket and pushed up his sleek black glasses with the base of his thumb. He looked her up and down analyzing her until he met her gaze.

"My, my, what a sharp tongue you've developed. I expected a little more manners from a young adult".

"You didn't answer my question." May responded unamused.

"I've heard wonderful things about the Battle Maison and wanted to experience it myself. Why do you ask Miss Maple? Does my presence offend you?"

"I'm just confused as to why you aren't rotting in jail, seeing as though you almost brought an end to the world."

"Ah, well when you have something to offer, arrangements can be made."

May gritted her teeth at his arrogance; he was just as manipulative as before. She looked up to his sharp glare as he arched a crimson brow. He relaxed his expression and they both took a moment to breathe.

"Well I'll let you carry on with your business. You looked as though you were running late for something, I don't with to keep you."

Maxie slunk away with a small smirk over to a small crowd of people; watching over his shoulder as May continued toward the reception. His posture perfectly upright and his head held high in the air.

May quickly darted over to the sign in table praying registration hadn't closed. She couldn't afford to lose out on today's winnings. She slammed her arms on the counter causing the receptionist look jump and her eyes to bulge.

"AH. How may I help you?"

"Please tell me sign ups are still open." May asked almost begging.

"I was just prepared to close them, I take it you're interested in participating? Now is you partner prepared?"

May cocked her head and looked at her wide-eyed.

"P-partner? Are there no single runs today?"

"Ah yes I'm afraid today we are solely open to dual battles. It's no problem, however, we can partner you with one of our other single participants."

The attendant snatched a clipboard and flipped through a small sheet searching feverously. She trailed her finger down a list of names muttering to herself. May stared anxiously, twirling a pen she had picked up off the counter to relieve her nervous tension.

"At the moment there's only one other single entrant… It's that sharp gentleman over there."

She cast a finger over May's shoulder pointing at the large crowd of people. May turned scouring for her partner.

"His name… Let's see… Maximilian Matsubusa. If you are willing to pair with him I can sign you up."

May's face turned to a scowl. She clamped the ballpoint pen hard in her hand, almost snapping it.

"You've got to be kidding me…"

The attendant gave May a sheepish smile, laughing awkwardly. She rubbed hand on the back of her neck and waited for a response.

"Fine." May grumbled. From the corner of her eye she saw Maxie seated on a bench near the stage, legs crossed, patiently waiting for her to join him.

* * *

"Wow, champion May, I never thought I'd ever see you here, let alone get to battle you. Your partner looks pretty good too. No matter, be prepared to face defeat! Let's show em' Sweetie!"

"You said it Hun!"

May chuckled at their opponents' ostentatious introductions. These trainers are quite sure of themselves. She glanced over to Maxie to see his reaction. He rolled his eyes and half-heartedly tossed his pokeball to the center of the stage. She followed suit and called out her pokemon.

He used his trademark Crobat and Camerupt, but May noticed that there was something different that when she had battled against him five years ago. For one, his pokemon seemed significantly stronger and faster. _He must have done some serious training after I beat him… _He himself also battled differently; he still maintained his calm composure but he seemed more invested in the battle than previously.

"Miss Maple if you wouldn't mind could you please stop gawking and focus on the battle before us?"

"I–I am." She squeaked, embarrassed from being caught staring.

* * *

"Grrrrr! You two are impressive; we were no match."

May jumped with a small cheer after they had battled the last set of trainers. She hadn't expected their duo to go so smoothly. She was pleasantly surprised with the way they could cooperate in battle. When they weren't pitted against each other, Maxie was quite docile. They worked their way out of the arena and toward the exit. She thought perhaps she could end this event with him on a good note, turning a new leaf. She turned toward Maxie and he gave her halfhearted smile.

"Well, don't we make a formidable team?" He stated almost cheerfully.

She turned her cheek, hiding her embarrassment; a compliment from him was such a rare occurrence. "I didn't expect us to work so well. Who knew an old man could be so spry," she teased.

He looked over at her with an annoyed expression. He wasn't too happy with her getting so comfortable around him.

"Don't get too big of a head, there, child." Maxie stepped away from the girl, putting some distance between them. "I expected a little more from your end; I seemed to be carrying your weight. Have you lost your touch Miss Maple?"

May felt the muscles in her jaw begin to tighten and her teeth bite against the side of her teeth. Watching him quickly turn back to his cold side caused her heart sink back.

"I was under the impression a former champion would be able to keep up with an 'old man' such as myself."

May snarled, unable to respond.

"At a loss of words?" The man hissed.

"Just get out of here…" she replied as she held her face in her hands, trying to keep her head.

He turned his back to her looking off, folding his arms behind his back. "You know I really did have a wonderful time today, perhaps I will come back? Wouldn't it be something if I made a habit of this? I'm quite confident in my abilities; I may be able to take grand prize quite often… I'll be able to face off against you again as we have in our previous years, though I'm sure you'll not be as big a challenge as you once were."

"No!" she screamed. The few remaining trainers in the vicinity turned their heads as to pretend they hadn't noticed the heated argument developing between the two. Slowly those around them fled the area as things began to boil.

He turned around raising his brow acting aloof. "No?"

"If-If that's what you want let's do it right now!... Let's battle, right now. If I win I never want to see you here again, or at all for that matter. Just stay away from me." She spat at him with rage.

Maxie folded hands in front of his chest. "Alright then, a set battle, five pokemon each. However, if I win, you will join me to the Magma Base as an entry level grunt…"

Before May could fully consider her decision he led them back to the small arena where they had battled the other trainers earlier. Her head was spinning with rage and a fire burned in her eyes.

The attendant piped in, "Excuse me, the battle arena is only to be used for—"

"Don't mind us, this will be concluded shortly. I don't expect this battle to take more than a few minutes," Maxie quipped.

He sauntered over to the opposite side of the arena, tossing and catching his pokeball with an eerie smile. May clenched her fists reaching down to grab her pokeball from her belt. _I'll wipe that smug smile off his face._

She released her Swampert, Mizu, expecting him to lead with his Camerupt. But when he tossed his pokeball, revealing a Shiftry, her eyes widened.

"I see you're surprised. I felt it was time for a change, you'll see I'm not the same man you battled previously."

She shook it off and refocused. But before she could call out a command to Mizu, Shiftry swarmed itself with a mass of razor-sharp leaves, shooting them to Swampert at lightning speed. Mizu was knocked back, colliding hard against the floor and struggled to stand back up.

"Mizu hang in there! Hit him with a hammer arm!" May called out.

Swampert dashed forward reeling it's shoulder back and brought it down with immense force. However, Shiftry leaped away from the attack and flung itself back throwing itself into Swampert. They smashed together against the wall, leaving a small crack in the metal paneling. Shiftry managed to jump back with minimal damage, but Swampert lay in a lump leaning against the wall unconscious.

"Mizu!" May shrieked. She bowed her head and recalled her pokemon.

"Tsk, tsk. You should be a little more conservative Miss Champion." Maxie teased.

She picked the third ball from her belt and threw it on the field angrily. Breloom jumped out with a squawk.

"Banjee, hit it with a low sweep!"

Breloom swiftly hopped up and sent a flying kick downwards toward Shitry, sending it crashing into floor. Breloom dashed back to its trainer and bounced up and down, waiting for a counter attack. Maxie recalled his pokemon, knowing it's been through enough.

"Well it seems you've regained some of your footing."

Maxie tossed out another pokeball revealing his Crobat. It flies around him and pauses near him treading air. May sees this as an opportunity and calls for Banjee to attack it with a thunder punch. As Breloom nears, Crobat flew up and swung around Breloom, slicing the unprepared grass pokemon with a brutal aerial ace. Breloom took the hit hard crossing a good distance and ended lying motionless on the field. May heard Maxie let out a triumphant huff across the stage.

She looked down at her feet trying to push the fearful thoughts out of her mind_. I just need to concentrate; he's baiting me; I need to ease back. _She brushed her hand over her belt lined with her pokeballs, reaching for Gardevoir.

"Athena, give yourself some space, hit it with psychic." May commanded.

The Gardevoir gracefully crossed the field, separating itself from Crobat. Suddenly, Crobat shook from the sky from the psychic attack. It twisted in the air and began to drop. Athena noticed it was spiraling towards her, and was unable to get away. As they collided Crobat sunk its fangs into her neck, ripping her flesh. Athena dizzily threw the bat pokemon off of her and collapsed onto the floor. The poison from the Crobats bite began to set in. In the Gardevoir's last effort, she sent another wave of psychic energy at Crobat causing it to tremble on the ground. Soon after she succumbed to the poison and fell unconscious.

May felt a sharp pierce to her heart, watching her pokemon slowly collapse. She called her back to the pokeball and whispered her apologies. She peered at Maxie as he recalled his pokemon, staring at her deeply with a smirk.

She tosses in her pokeball releasing Sora. The Altaria glided across the field and landed itself in front of May, looking back with a concerned expression. Maxie had sent in his Aggron and it stood in front of him steadily.

"Sora, use moonblast!"

Altaria flew up high to the ceiling and blasted a powerful aura at Aggron, however there was little to no reaction.

"Silly child. I'd advise you to research your typing's before battle", Maxie scoffed.

_Fuck. _Her mind began to cloud with rage. She shot a look at Altaria for her to send another blow. Altaria reeled back and released a dragon pulse at Aggron. It was more effective this time but Aggron still absorbed the hit. Maxie shouted out a command and Aggron began to encase itself in a rocky layer. Suddenly the casing cracked and shot its debris toward the dragon pokemon. Sora weaved through the impending rocks but didn't scrape by without a few hits.

"Sora, buy us some time, put it to sleep!" May hollered.

The Altaria lowered toward the ground, defenseless and open to attack. However Aggron didn't have the speed to react before a soft melody lulled it to sleep. Altaria returned up to the air and sent another dragon pulse, knocking out the slumbering pokemon.

Maxie grumbled under his breath and called out Garchomp. The land dragon let out a ferocious roar and almost instantly came colliding with May's Altaria before she had to time react. The dragon rush was powerful enough to send them both hitting hard against the walls of the arena. The Garchomp was strong enough to handle the recoil, however May's Altaria didn't have enough energy to recover.

May gripped her last pokeball tightly, whispering to it. _It's all up to you now; I know you can do it. _She released her Walrein, Titan, onto the field and refocused. Quickly Walrein sent a frigid beam of ice straight into the chest of the Garchomp. The dragon succumbed to its weakness and collapsed onto the floor.

Maxie bit at the side of his cheek in distress. _This could turn out for the worst; that water beast could turn to be a bit of a problem. I'll have to take matters into my own hands._

Maxie clears his throat and prepares to put his scheme into action.

"You know Miss Maple, you are a bit of a conundrum," Maxie started.

May looked up at him with a confused expression. What was he getting at?

"You long for a challenge yet you abandoned your position as champion and take up battling here against those far less powerful. Perhaps it wasn't that..." He put his hand to his chin looking off as though he was in deep thought. "Did you live in fear knowing one day there would be a trainer to best you?"

The girl's face drained and she felt the blood rush to her chest. "No." She shook her head looking down at her feet. "I never," she mumbled.

He straightened himself, knowing he hit a nerve. "Yes, you quit to save yourself from the embarrassment. Mr. Stone was such a dapper young gentlemen; I wonder how he feels about you now."

May stomped her foot on the ground and clenched her fists. The heat poured into her hands and throat.

"JUST THROW OUT YOUR DAMN POKEMON YOU OLD BASTARD!" she shrieked.

_It's a lie. It's a lie. You know your reasons, _She repeated to herself.

Maxie took advantage of this opportunity when he saw May trembling with rage. He tossed out Camerupt as the last piece in his plan.

"I can't even imagine how your family feels, knowing you're living day to day. Their beloved child, once champion living in a luxurious home in Sootopolis, now a simple trainer in a child's den... The wasted opportunity," he continued.

May squatted down to the ground, tugging her hair. Titan looked back at her, hobbling his way over to console his trainer. Discretely, Maxie commanded his Camerupt to attack. The ground of the arena began to tremble, causing Titan to look back; May still crouched, trembling from the painful memories. Suddenly from under Camerupt the ground split, creating a small fissure partially engulfing Walrein. The water pokemon yelped in pain from the crushing earth. The well-aimed move slowly sent the pokemon into unconsciousness.

May peered up and clawed her way over to her pokemon on her hands. She set the heavy head of her Walrein on her lap and caressed its fur, weeping uncontrollably. Maxie thanked his pokemon and recalled his Camerupt, making his way over to the center of the arena standing before her with a triumphant smirk. She returned her hurt pokemon into the pokeball and struggled to stand up. She pulled herself up with the tail of Maxie's jacket and shoved him out of her way racing towards the pokemon center; rubbing the tears from her eyes with her forearm.

When her pokemon were being taken care of she slunk into one of the large chairs, sitting expressionless; she was still stunned from what had just happened. _You could've won. You let him get the better of you. That conniving bony asshole._

She hadn't noticed Maxie standing before her, looking down.

"I'll have arrangements made to have you picked up at dawn."

The nurse called her up and promptly returned her pokemon. She silently thanked her and exited calmly. Outside, the sun had set and ominous clouds covered the sky. May released Sora and headed home. As she flew she avoided looking down at her pokemon; else she might break into another fit. The cold precipitation from the clouds mixed with her tears trailing off her cheek.

They landed through the clearing of the trees and stopped just before the base of the great tree. Sora turned her neck back towards May brushing her face dry on her billowy feathers and chirped a soothing lullaby.

"Thank you girl. Everything's going to be okay, I promise." May responded, rubbing her hands down the dragon before returning her back to her pokeball.

May climbed up the ladder into her base and flopped on her bed. She stared up at the ceiling looking through the cracks wooden boards and the leaves of the tree. Ivy jumped up onto her chest, purring loudly, and curled up. May stroked the Skitty's silky fur before returning her, too, to her pokeball.

May rolled over, snagged her PokeNav from her pocket and sifted through her new messages.

'Hey Honey! I glad to hear you're doing fine still. Your father and I would love if you'd visit sometime soon. Brendan asked about you the other day, maybe you can arrange something with him too? Anyways, call me soon!'

May hugged her PokeNav tightly to her chest, sobbing into her pillow. Her mind began to run wild with thoughts of how to escape this mess_. I could run away, how are they going to track me? But where would I go? I still am not ready to face my family, and hell no I'm not going to Steven. I could leave Hoenn if absolutely necessary…_ Before she could take any actions her eyelids began to get heavy. Her eyes began to roll back into her head and she drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

Maxie entered his office with a huff, slipping off his jacket and tossing it on the back of his seat. He slumped into his leather swivel chair and lifted up his glasses pinching the bridge of his nose. Today's events hadn't gone exactly according to plan, but he could make something work out of this. _That dreadful girl will rue the day she embarrassed me in front of the world._

There was a knock at the door before it slid open; Tabitha entered.

"How did things go, sir?" He asked.

Maxie straightened up and regained his composure. "Not exactly as we had thought, but surely something we can work with. In fact, I have one more favor to ask of you… I wish for you to escort her to my office by 11AM."

Tabitha hesitated, he wasn't exactly sure he liked where his master's plan was going, but he complied nonetheless. "Are we positive she will maintain her current location?"

"No, in fact I expect her to be on the move. I assume you can handle this?"

"Not a problem at all sir. You know I'm quite capable with these things. I'll leave you to yourself, I'm sure you're tired with dealing with that wild child." Tabitha replied with a warm smile and marched from the office.

Maxie slid back into his chair and sighed loudly. _What am I going to do to you?_

* * *

**Ahhh not exactly happy with this chapter but I needed to get past it. I find it rather awkward writing pokemon battles, it's hard to make it sound interesting and keep form repeating the same words. Also May will show more of her lighter and happier side in future chapters, I just had to move along the plot a bit. Thank you for all the support guys!**


	3. A Newly Inducted Grunt

May felt her legs sink deeper into hard springs of the mattress. She kicked up her feet attempting to free herself from the binds of her blanket caught up on something. She rolled over to the very edge of the bed wrapping herself in a cocoon of blankets, mumbling to herself.

"Get up… Move…Damn Cat."

From the edge of the bed she heard a bellowing laughter causing the frame to shake. She quickly sprung forward, half dazed. Her hair was piled atop of her head in a frizzy mess half tied up with her red hair ribbon. Prying open her lids she could make out a large dark figure sitting closely.

"Who the hell are you?" She asked still half asleep.

The person let out another chuckle, "Aren't we a morning person? Open your eyes, kid."

She brought her hands to her eyes and rubbed away the early morning fogginess. Opening them again she could clearly make out the stalky man sitting at the edge of the bed. He wore black slacks and a black collared sweater with the magma insignia ironed on the lapel. A thin pair of dark almond shaped eyes peered over his full rosy cheeks. Tufts of dark hair flipped up in all directions messily.

"Tabitha?"

He gave her a warm assuring smile. "Glad to see you still remember, I haven't aged too much you know! Catch!"

He gently tossed a small plastic container at the unprepared, and still quite sleepy, trainer. It bounced against her chest causing the lid to fling open, revealing inside a delicious smelling pastry. It had been a long while since she had anything to eat, so she ravenously devoured the sweet breakfast in record speed, completely ignoring the gawks from the man beside her. Embarrassed from her brutish behavior, May scooted her feet back up towards her chest grabbing her knees. Though she reminded herself he was an intruder who had snuck into her home while she slept; he didn't exactly deserve the most host-like treatment.

"What are you doing here?" She mumbled into her folded arms.

"It's a bit windy outside so I let myself in… I see you haven't exactly prepared, though. You do remember you're joining us, correct?"

She put on a pouty puppy-dog face and played with her feet underneath the covers. He felt her uncomfortable energy and stood up from the foot of the bed.

"I uh, I came to pick you up. You don't really seem to be ready though, so I'll let you grab your things. If you wouldn't mind could you hurry a bit? It's in our best interest to not keep him waiting…"

She hooked her feet over the edge of the mattress and pressed her heels to the cool wood planks of the floor. The floor creaked loudly with each step as she made her way around the bed and toward the dresser. She rested her hands atop the smooth finish of the surface and cranked her neck back shooting a dirty eye towards the intruder.

"Ah yes sorry, I'll be just outside." He mumbled, stepping out onto the balcony.

Waiting until she heard she heard the thump of him hitting the ground from the ladder she began to look through her belongings. She ran her hands through the mess of blankets on the bed searching for her pokemon. The insulated warmth from the covers was drawing her into return to bed but she resisted the temptation. She snatched the small pile of her companions and picked through them releasing Ivy.

Upon being set free the small feline hopped down from the bed to the feet of her trainer. Ivy let out a loud meow as though it was puzzled. May squatted down to caress her soft fur.

"I know, don't worry about last night. But…" she trailed off. The Skitty paused its purring and turned to look at May reassuringly.

"I'm going to have to do that again, girl, I'm sorry. It's all going to be okay, I promise." There was a concerned look in the eyes of the pokemon that almost caused May to revert to tears. She held herself together and said one last goodbye before recalling her into the pokeball.

May waddled over towards a small stool placed near her dresser in front of a long mirror. Her hair was quite a mess, half tied up with her classic red ribbon and half hanging down in tangled nest past her shoulders. The almond colored mess of hair contrasted against her silky pale skin. She looked into the mirror and whimpered at her disheveled appearance. Her clothes from yesterday hung loosely off her body, revealing her thin toned torso. For the most part she hadn't changed from the last time she had seen Tabitha; she had grown a bit taller but still had the small curves from her teenage years.

For a lack of time, the disheveled trainer opted for a quick hairbrush in replace of an early morning shower. It did, however, take a few good minutes to comb through the thick mess of hair to make it look somewhat presentable. She put it up into a styled ponytail; letting her bangs hand down to frame her face. She snagged a tight fitting black T-shirt and a pair of pristine white shorts and pulled them on. Finishing off the outfit with a favorite pair of red and white sneakers to match the bright crimson hair bow. She dumped a good pile of clothes into a large duffle bag and tossed in her toiletries and other necessities she might possibly find herself needing. With a huff, the heavy bag was slung over her small shoulders and carried out towards the balcony.

After a short ways of walking out through the tree line, the two came upon a modern looking black car parked on a trail leading towards the road. Tabitha offered his hand and removed the bag from the shoulders of the light trainer, placing it in the back trunk. Returning to the side of the car he opened the back door and swung an arm out gesturing for her to enter into the back seat. She complied and crawled her way into the vehicle, situating herself in the leather seats. She noticed a rough looking man seated in the driver's seat glaring back at her. He had dark looming eyes, buzzed cut black hair and a noticeable 5-o'clock shadow. He let out a small grunt at her presence. Just as she was about to call out for help, Tabitha entered the passenger side and buckled himself in. He turned around the front seat and looked back.

"This is Eric, he's a higher up and if you ever need me you can ask him."

Eric grunted again, a bit more friendly this time and tilted up his chin as a greeting.

"As you know Team Magma isn't much for water or air travel, we prefer to stick to the ground. It shouldn't take too long to get there, though, you can just relax."

May tried to look out the windows of the car but the blackened windows made it almost impossible for her to see anything. Tabitha caught a glance over his shoulder of her bewildered look.

"Normal procedure would call for blindfolds, however I don't think we really need to go that far. Maxie is a bit on the paranoid side, though, so the tinted windows help to not reveal our location."

May slinked back into the smooth fabric and began to drift off in thought. For the most part, this isn't the WORST situation she could be in. For the time being she was being provided free housing and meals. The whole situation could be handled well if she can learn to bite her tongue and ignore Maxie's manipulation and insults. _However if she were able to do that she wouldn't be in this mess to begin with. _Tabitha noticed her concerned expression and thought it was best to break the stagnant silence.

"You know this won't be as bad as you think, I promise. If you ever need something I'll be right there. I'll ever try to warm him up for ya. Unlike some of the others who are still apart of the team from that whole thing with Groudon, I don't resent you. We were in way over our heads and you were just the one to put us in our place."

The young trainer looked up into the rear-view mirror to see the Tabitha's rosy cheeks. A spot deep in her chest began to warm at the genuine kindness of her former enemy.

As the car came to a stop she realized she had completely lost track of how much time they had been driving. She put her hands on the back of the passenger side and slid towards the center of the back seat. The driver's side door opened and Eric removed himself from the car shutting the door hastily. Tabitha turned back towards the trainer and shuffled his arms down underneath the seat lifting up a thin piece of fabric.

"Before we get out, would you mind putting this on?... It's better that he thinks we went the extra mile." He said with a wink.

She sighed and held the black mesh bag in her hands loosely before wrapping it around her head. A pair of hands slid their way past her shoulders and tied the strings loosely around her neck. The mesh material of the bag allowed her to breathe freely, however it completely blinded her.

She was taken out of the car with a hand on her upper arm, leading her through what seemed like a maze. They paused before entering into an elevator heading downward. Another set or hands were set upon her other arm and she was half-led half-drug through a hallway and into a room before she was seated into a chair. A sudden flash of blinding lights met her eyes as the bag was ripped from her head. She brought her arms up to her face in an attempt to mask the brightness. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the lighting and she could make out Maxie standing just before her. He donned his red long labcoat that he had in the past, along with a thin pair of square black glasses and an outfit underneath similar to Tabitha's. His fiery red hair poked out behind his neck.

They were situated in some sort of office, presumably Maxie's. It was lit generously with walls painted a muted grey. They were lined by a dark wood paneling matching the slick metal flooring. He leaned on a large black desk neatly stacked with papers and computer monitors. Behind the desk was a large screen showing several rooms of the hideout, monitoring them. To the right was an bright open room leading into the office furnished quite stylishly with moern furniture; the walls lined with large, framed paintings. The room was much too grand to fit the dreadfulness of situation. Around her were varying sized grunts, dressed in plain black uniform long sleeved sweaters and slacks with the same emblem on the collar. They had obviously done some major fashion consulting. Tabitha stood near the doorway looking a bit nervous. She returned her focus to the man looming over her when he cleared his throat loudly.

"I see you have arrived safely. You arrived a few minutes tardy, however, lucky for you the morning meeting ran a bit over schedule…Now then. You are to think and act as a loyal Team Magma grunt. You will shortly see I run a tight shift. It may only be temporary, but I am your leader; you follow my orders. To ensure your safety, and mine, you are to be under constant supervision by either one of the Administrators or myself. Your schedule…."

May rolled her eyes at the magma leader's introduction and began to tune him out. _How long has been practicing this monologue to himself in the mirror. _However she snapped back into focus when she glanced down at her side. Eyes darted across the room searching feverously; her bag was not in sight. Maxie noticed her panic, delighted to have caused it, and grinned mischievously.

"I have seized you possessions for a search. You shall not have access to any location-relaying equipment or weapons for the time being. Thus, your pokemon will be kept safely with me."

She went to open her mouth and chew him out; however before she let out more than a squeak she bit her tongue. In her current situation it was best to not be talking back. _If anything happens to them I will snap you in half._ Maxie arched a brow expecting more of a reaction but realized she was being extra careful.

"If you forget your schedule I have so graciously made you a reference that you can look over in your spare time. Along with it are the proper team magma uniforms, which are to be worn accordingly."

He brought up his arm to his shoulder and snapped his fingers. From a darker corner of the room emerged a thin woman with puffy short lilac hair wearing a long sleeved black collared dress matching with the style of the male uniform. Her wrists guarded by two thick metal cuffs and her palms poking out underneath, gloved in a dark fabric hiding her hands. May hadn't even noticed her presence until she stiffly made her wait in front of her like a robot, stopping directly in front of Maxie.

"Courtney will be escorting you to your quarters. After you have prepared yourself you are to return to my office. Do you understand?"

"…Yes…" May grumbled.

At that moment the tiny admin grabbed at the shoulders of May's t-shirt, tugging her up and out of the chair with surprising force. Without saying a word, Courtney marched from the office and paused at the door frame, waiting for the newly inducted grunt to follow.

They made their way through the small hallway leading to the elevator. The hallway shared a similar color scheme as the office, however they were noticeably less lavished. Her eyes were caught on the vast number of cameras lined across the tiling of ceiling. A sickening feeling began to form in her stomach at the thought of her constant surveillance. Arriving to the elevator, Courtney stepped to the side to enter what seemed like a security code at an insanely fast speed; May was unable to keep track of her movements. The stainless steel door slid open and they stepped inside. There was an awkward silent air between them as the sunk lower into the base. Thankfully for May the doors slid open once more leading to a stretch of hallway lined with doors. They stopped at the very first one and she was led into a small cabin.

It was bare, for the most part. The walls were painted a bright red with black details. A metal bed rested on the left with a thin red blanket covering the black sheets, a single black pillow rested atop. May let out a deep sigh of relief when she noticed it was a single bed, a roommate wasn't exactly what she was looking forward too. Aside from that there was a small grey desk to the right of the head of the bed with a metal chair. A door to the right led into a dreadfully small bathroom, provided with a simple shower, toilet, and sink. Far from luxury, but suitable for one such as herself. As May wandered around, peeking into every last nook and cranny, Courtney stood in the door frame watching over her.

"Someone will return shortly… Do look over the provided material on the desk. I would… familiarize oneself with the information…"

As soon as she let out the last syllable the door slid shut between them. It was a bit of a relief having a moment to herself; she plopped onto the bed. The springs let out a large grinding noise and the mattress compressed uncomfortably. _What a pleasant night's sleep I'll be getting_, she thought to herself. In the corner of her eye she saw a medium sized black box sitting upon a small stack of papers on the desk. Reaching over she grabbed the box, placing it on the bed before her sitting stick straight with anticipation crossing her legs. She lifted off the heavy lid and placed it to the side. Inside sat a velvety cushion holding a similarly colored crimson and ebony pokeball. To the side rested a small note written on a formal paper, the edges decorated with red flames.

'Standard procedure calls for all newly inducted grunts to be given a pokemon for self-defense in case of an emergency; I'd advise you to carry this while roaming the corridors. You didn't exactly trudge through our plans without making a few enemies.'

She curiously removed the pokeball from the box and gripped it tight in her palms. She pressed on the latch causing the pokemon, a Poochyena, to be released onto the floor next to her. The feelings of excitement quickly wore off. Team Magma had obviously mass bred these fierce canines to hand them out to the large number of grunts. It was rather medium sized pup, appeared to be a male, having course pale fur with ash grey markings across the back, face, and limbs. His eyes were a fierce yellow with red tints near the pupils; they looked back up at the trainer sitting idly on the bed. It sat close to the door with its back standing straight up, muzzle pointed high in the air with its eyes looking over at her past its narrow nose. It let out no noses; simply sizing her up in silence. May cocked her head and raised her brows hoping to have some sort of interaction between the pokemon. However they stood perfectly still, waiting for one another to make a move. Feeling awkward, she turned her attention back to the items on the desk. She seated herself on the metal chair in front of the desk and flipped through the hefty packet he had so graciously left her.

She tossed the packet to the side of the desk and let out a deep breath, arching her back over the chair. Her head flipped over the neck of the chair and looked back on her room with the upside-down view; pieces of hair falling back on her face. She caught a glimpse of her Poochyena sitting idly in the corner, grooming itself meticulously. A lock of hair caught up in her mouth and straightened her back spitting away the strands. Deciding to follow her pokemon she took a well-needed shower; knowing the steamy water helped calm her nerves.

Upon exiting the bathroom in a matching black and red towel, she waddle over to the closet door and began to sift through the provided clothes. She removed the black dress from the rack and slipped it on. Glancing at herself in the mirror of the door made her feel sick, the magma emblem seemed to burn through to the skin.

A light knocking came from the doorway and it opened up to a bright Tabitha.

"Hey kid! Glad to see you managed to check through that packet; it'll make things go easier."

He stepped in and bent over to pat the head of the nearby Poochyena. It maintained it's serious look, staring back at the Magma Admin. Tabitha slowly removed his hand and placed it back at his side, standing back up and looking over at May who shared a bewildered expression.

"Huh, not exactly the friendliest guy... But he'll grow on you I'm sure. Hey maybe you should name him Maxie." He said jokingly with a smile.

She chuckled and placed her hands around her shoulders. "Well, uh, what am I doing for the rest of today?"

"Well, it's 1 o'clock now so I came to get you for lunch. After that, Maxie told me to take you to his office for something he had planned—"

He trailed off on the last part of the sentence, knowing that it was best to not scare the poor trainer. He was beginning to feel guilty himself, for complying with his leader's actions.

"It's okay. I'm starving, lets go to lunch!" She responded with a reassuring smile.

* * *

Upon stepping into the dining area, May widened her eyes in surprise. It was quite large, housing most of the magma grunts around cafeteria-style tables with the walls lined with counters filled with a huge variety of foods. The ceiling was very tall, allowing room for a tall overlooking balcony with stairs leading down. Tabitha gave her a light push on her back.

"This is the dining hall. This is where you'll have all the meals. See that table over there?" He pointed over toward the corner of the room toward a table. There were a few people seated over there already beginning lunch,; she recognized two of them being Courtney and Eric.

"That's where we'll eat. It's normally for the higher ups, but I can't let ya out of my sight. You can go ahead and sit over there, I'll bring you over something."

She was about to ask if she could join him but he had already raced over towards the counter, shoving his way through the mass of grunts. She could swear she hear him fighting over a dish in the center of the crowd. Feeling out of place she made her way over the Admin table causing everyone there to turn towards her and give a disapproving grunt. She sat down across from Courtney and next to Eric, leaving a seat for Tabitha at the end of the table. Gripping the end fabric of her dress and looking downward to avoid the menacing gazes. The conversation around them dwindled and the rest of them began to eat in silence. It was a grueling amount of time until Tabitha made his way over, juggling dozens of small plates across his arms, placing them out in front of May.

"Wasn't sure exactly what your tastes are so I brought a variety."

"Thanks."

Over the course of lunch Tabitha attempted to strike up a conversation between them, however no one made much of a response. May scarfed down a good amount in record time and waited patiently for her escort to finish. Eventually they began to dismiss themselves from the cafeteria and return to their work. When Tabitha finished, they made their way back towards the elevator and into Maxie's office.

Stepping foot into the Magma Leader's den she saw him seated at his large desk and glance over his computer monitor towards her.

"Tabitha you are dismissed."

The admin nudged the trainer with his elbow and promptly exited, leaving her standing in front of the doorway. She folded her arms behind her back and pulled herself together; bracing for his worst. She was determined to stand up for herself and prove her strength, not to let him manipulate her as he's done in the past. She spread her legs to a defensive stance and stood steadily. However the attack never came. He was too engrossed to even acknowledge her. For a seemingly long amount of time she just stood there at the door, awaiting the barrage of insults. Finally, realizing he wasn't going to budge, she relaxed and moved over towards the small lounge, placing herself one of the chairs. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

**Not too much happening, you'll be seeing a bit more explanation of the situation in the next chapter. I'm super happy to see this much reaction from you all, it really helps to keep going despite my dreadful writing abilities!**


	4. A New Team Magma

**Woah I'm still here! Yes I've been caught up in a mess of things but I am back with more motivation. (for now at least) This chapter was written in one go just because I had the urge to crank something out. I know you have all been waiting for an update. It's rather short, but it wraps some details together. Again I thank you all for the support it really keeps me going!**

"Don't get too comfortable, Miss Maple, you cannot slack off when you have work to do."

She jumped up at his voice and was shocked to see he had moved over, standing right in front of her, arms crossed looking down on his nose through the lenses of his glasses. He scoffed at her reaction to being awakened and motioned for her to follow him back at his workspace.

It was cluttered, in an organized way, however. Papers stacked all across the table, laptop sitting directly in the middle with a coffee mug to the right. Magma insignia's appearing on each one of the items, she rolled her eyes. His hands went for a stack of papers, grabbing them and holding them out in front of her waiting.

"Take these and stamp them with this seal. I have ordered for a second desk to be installed while you are working under me, but for the time being you must use what little space I have on my desk. I'll be working on my laptop." He ordered.

May's hands reached out to grab the stack and placed them around the desk near one of the empty guest chairs. He slid the stamp towards her and retreated to his leather chair, honing back in on the screen of his computer.

She sighed loudly and plopped herself in the plush red seat, leaning forward onto the desk to begin her tedious task. The papers looked like resumes, or applications. Are people still actively joining Team Magma? Now that she began to think a little bit about this, what exactly does Team Magma even do? How had they been not hunted down like the criminals that they are? While stamping the documents blankly she looked up to see him furiously typing. Perhaps it wasn't the best chance to ask this, but her curiosity was getting the better of her.

"Err, what are these documents for, exactly? And what does Team Magma even do not that y'know… Groudon."

He stopped abruptly and glared up at her with a scowl.

"Tread lightly." He mumbled, returning back to typing.

May exhaled deeply and continued working, hands flipping the mass of papers and pressing the stamp back onto the wet red ink. She worked in silence, not wanting to disturb him to avoid any further confrontations. Eventually she had dwindled to the last few papers and stacked the rest neatly in a complete pile. She cleared her throat when her work had been finished. Without even looking up he responded to her.

"Good. You're not completely useless."

Maxie cracked his knuckles and stood up from his chair, shifting around to her side to take the papers and place them atop a filing cabinet.

"I'm a bit surprised you don't already know the arrangement Team Magma has made with the authorities of Hoenn. Your friend, Steven, is the one who set it all up."

The way he stressed the word friend made her sick; what exactly does he think happened between them, or know at least. He returned to his seat and crossed his hands over his chest, staring at her. The look he gave her was enough to send a chill down her spine, like a Mightyena watching its prey.

"Team Magma operates as the Natural Disaster watch of Hoenn. I'm sure you are familiar with how often we hear of tsunami, earthquake, and hurricane threats. We already possessed the equipment from our last project and it was simple enough to take on these tasks…" he snickered and grinned mischievously. "That's not to say I don't have a few projects of my own here or there."

Her stomach curled up in rage. Had he not learned anything from his last disastrous schemes? Why must he toy with civilization? No matter what these plans were she was sure they are nothing too good.

"Don't act so righteous, child. You're helping with them too, you realize."

She realized she was practically gnawing away at her bottom lip staring at the floor with furrowed brows. Quickly she swallowed the lump in her throat and turned back to him with an un-amused expression.

"Now, after you're done dreaming of revenge attempts I wish for you to take these-" He plopped another monstrous stack of papers in front of her, along with a small marker. "and highlight any markings above the graphed line. This will last you a good while until you are dismissed."

She sat there, for hours, trailing her finger across the line graphs on the thin white paper, her eyes becoming blurry and crossed. One finger glazed over the line searching for any overages, and another hand held the highlighter quick to mark. It was a miracle that almost brought tears to her eyes when she flipped to the last leaf of the papers. Moments later her escort arrived.

A knock at the entrance followed by the sliding sound of the steel door opening started the girl. In marched a pleasant looking Tabitha, as chipper as ever.

"Dinner. Tabitha will be escorting you, apparently." He glared over at his admin which caused the inferior to hunch his shoulders nervously.

"Right this way, Miss Maple." Tabitha's arms stretched out the doorway for her to follow once more. She felt like a lilipup being lead all around. But at least it was away from that devil.

"Did you do something wrong?" She questioned.

"No, well he might see it as that…" He sighed and hunched over, leading her back to the dining hall. "Courtney is in charge of escorting you in the afternoons, she told me to take her place for this one. But Boss doesn't like any change in plans, even in the smallest details. I'm sure I'll hear about this one later."

May wondered how anyone could deal with his picky leadership. Maybe if he would respect his underlings more than she could understand, but the way he treated them was unbearable. She was about to ask Tabitha how he honestly felt about his boss but he was looking a bit depressed and perhaps she'd save it for later conversation.

Soon after, she found herself mumbling to herself, again. Seated at the admin table with the quiet bunch of them. Courtney staring at her with the same blank yet menacing gaze. May just picked around at her food, not feeling particularly hungry.

"Hey don't look so glum, I'm sure thing will pick up tomorrow." Tabitha slapped a hand to her back to jolt her awake. "You should try to make a few friends here, I'm sure there are a few out there. I mean– that's just in case I'm not around."

The idea of making friends with anyone here in on Team Magma was a complete joke, one that she'd laugh at if not for being surrounded by them. Though the thought of Tabitha not being around wasn't reassuring, perhaps it'd be best if she could make at least an acquaintance around here that didn't hate her guts.

Shocking her out of her trance, Courtney slammed a gloved palm to the table, rattling the plates and glasses and causing a heads to turn.

Courtney glared at her fellow admin and stood up from her seat, her voice was cold and robotic like.

"She doesn't belong here… Don't' be acting so… friendly… The girl should be sitting with the rest of them… like a real grunt."

Without a second for any of them to respond Courtney up and left the table, leaving behind her dish and storming out of the mess hall. Tabitha stood up to go chase after her but instead called out.

"Hey you were supposed to take her back!"

She had already made her way out of the room, into the hallways and too far to hear his cries. The crowd in the mess hall was dead quiet, only a few whispers from the gossiping grunts could be heard. Somehow, May knew every single conversation was about her. Tabitha sighed and sat back down glancing over at his new coworker.

"I can just take you back. I'm sure she's just a little tense, is'all. Don't let her get to you."

It was silent on their way through the dark hallways, through the elevator and onto the empty floor. As soon as she stepped foot in her designated dorm she flopped onto the red-blanketed bed, creaking loudly, faced shoved into the pillow. Tabitha stood nervously in the doorway looking over.

"I'll be here in the morning to take you to the meeting, at around ten thirty. It'd be nice if you could be all set and ready to go. Don't want to keep him waiting… Are you alright?"

She mumbled from under the feathery pillow, muffled to grunt. From the corner of her eyes she saw him nod before make a hasty retreat, sliding the door behind him.

Though her floor was empty she could still hear the sounds of buzzing computers and light footsteps above her. The single light that was powered in her room was dim, almost enough to drift off into a sleep. She was tired, but at the same time unable to sleep. Strange thoughts crept up in her mind, tormenting her. Fumbling around in the pocket of her dress she removed the small orb and pressed the latch. There was one thing that could distract her for a short while.

The Poochyena stood at the foot of the bed and glared at its trainer. It seemed so stoic, and emotionless, like a cold stranger. She wished that he would at least make any effort to attach itself to her, but it seemed unlikely. Originally she had intentions of naming it, though he did not appear to want one. He barely even moved from the foot of the bed, merely curling himself up in the bundle of blankets and glaring back at May.

Not having any motivation to even get up from the bed, she flicked off the lights near the desk and sunk back into the red sheets, still wearing her uniform. Her eyes slid shut, and miraculously, the continuous buzzing lulled her to sleep.

**More important things coming soon, I promise! Just a fair warning, it will take a dark turn for a short while...**


End file.
